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Bruce Mountain

Director, Victoria Energy Policy Centre, Victoria University

PhD (economics) Victoria University, Batchelor's and Master's Degrees (Electrical Engineering), University of Cape Town. Chartered Management Accountant (Chartered Institute of Management Accountants), England. Director, Carbon and Energy Markets and co-founder, [MI] Retail Energy.

Solar above, batteries below: here’s how warehouses and shopping centres could produce 25% of Australia’s power

Aug 20, 2024 05:21 am UTC| Insights & Views Business

Imagine if Australian cities became major producers of clean energy, rather than relying on far-flung solar and wind farms. Far fetched? Hardly. Our cities and towns are full of warehouses, commercial areas, shopping...

Known unknowns: controversy over CSIRO’s electricity report reveals an uncomfortable truth

Jun 13, 2024 06:10 am UTC| Research & Analysis

CSIROs latest annual GenCost update, released last month, was billed as Australias most comprehensive electricity generation cost report. GenCost has proven to be highly controversial. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton...

Future of Coal Series

The end of coal-fired power is in sight, even with private interests holding out

Oct 11, 2022 04:28 am UTC| Economy

If future historians pick a point in time when Australia comprehensively turned its back on coal-fired generation, they may well point to AGLs decision to bring forward the closure of Loy Yang A, the cheapest (excluding...

Texas was a warning. Australia needs to rethink the design of its electricity market

Feb 26, 2021 14:17 pm UTC| Nature Economy

Australias electricity market is unsustainable. Texas shows us why. A week ago Texas experienced a bout of severe weather as arctic air reached deep into the state, driving temperature down to levels that had not been...

Pumped hydro isn't our energy future, it's our past

Oct 29, 2020 10:03 am UTC| Business

Its now beyond dispute that for new electricity generation solar, wind and other forms of renewable energy are cheaper than anything else: cheaper than new coal fired power stations, cheaper than new gas-fired stations...

The National Energy Guarantee is a flagship policy. So why hasn't the modelling been made public?

Jul 31, 2018 15:36 pm UTC| Insights & Views Law Politics

Central to the public debate about the National Energy Guarantee (NEG) has been the numerical forecasts of its effects in particular how much it will reduce power prices. In a democracy whose households pay some of the...

Economy

Myanmar Rebels Disrupt Global Rare Earth Supply, Challenge China's Control

In October, the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), an ethnic rebel group in northern Myanmar, seized control of the countrys rare-earth mining belt, disrupting global supply chains and challenging the military junta and...

Oil Prices Hover Near 1-Month Highs Amid U.S. Tariffs and Tight Supply

Oil prices held firm near one-month highs on Friday, eyeing a third straight weekly gain, driven by tightening global supply concerns. U.S. sanctions and tariffs targeting oil exports from Venezuela and Iran have injected...

Asian Stocks Slip on Trump Tariff Fears, Tokyo Inflation Jitters Shake Markets

Most Asian stocks fell on Friday, extending losses as investor anxiety grew over U.S. President Donald Trumps aggressive tariff plans. Japanese markets led regional declines, with the Nikkei 225 and TOPIX sinking over 2%...

US Halts WTO Contributions Amid Trump’s Global Spending Review

The United States has paused its contributions to the World Trade Organization (WTO) as part of President Donald Trumps broader review of funding to international organizations. This move aligns with Trumps America First...

RBA Set to Hold Rates Steady Amid Inflation Concerns and Cautious Outlook

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) is expected to keep its official cash rate unchanged at 4.10% during its April 1 policy meeting, according to a Reuters poll of 39 economists. As inflation begins to ease but core...

Politics

Zelenskiy Urges Strong Western Response After Deadly Russian Drone Strikes

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has called for a strong international response following a wave of Russian drone attacks across Ukraine. In his nightly address on Saturday, Zelenskiy emphasized that Russias...

Ecuador President Daniel Noboa Replaces Vice President Amid Election Tensions

Ecuadors President Daniel Noboa has appointed Cynthia Gellibert, secretary general of public administration, as interim vice president, replacing elected Vice President Veronica Abad. The move intensifies ongoing political...

U.S. Defense Chief Calls Japan Vital Ally in Deterring China’s Regional Aggression

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth emphasized Japans key role in countering Chinese military assertiveness, calling it essential for establishing credible deterrence in the Indo-Pacific, particularly across the Taiwan...

Finnish President Stubb Meets Trump in Florida, Discusses Icebreaker Deal and Ukraine

Finnish President Alexander Stubb made an unannounced visit to Mar-a-Lago on Saturday to meet U.S. President Donald Trump. The surprise meeting, held at Trumps Florida estate, focused on strengthening U.S.-Finland...

Trump’s Executive Order Sparks Outcry Over Smithsonian Exhibit Restrictions

Ernest, a longtime Washington D.C. resident, stood near the National Museum of African American History and Culture on the National Mall, reacting to President Donald Trumps recent executive order targeting federally...

Science

Sanofi’s New Hemophilia Drug Qfitlia Gains FDA Approval with Breakthrough Bimonthly Dosing

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Qfitlia, a groundbreaking hemophilia treatment by French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi (NASDAQ: SNY). Designed for patients aged 12 and older with hemophilia A or B,...

FDA Vaccine Chief Peter Marks Resigns Amid Controversy Over Transparency

Peter Marks, the U.S. Food and Drug Administrations (FDA) top vaccine official, has resigned after reportedly being forced out by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), according to The Wall Street Journal....

What are the chances an asteroid will impact Earth in 2032?

For a few days in mid-February, headlines around the world buzzed about the potential for an asteroid to hit the Earth in 2032 specifically, asteroid 2024 YR4. The chance of this impact rose to a high of 3.1 per cent on...

A new study reveals the structure of violent winds 1,300 light years away

The planet WASP-121b is extreme. Its a gas giant almost twice as big as Jupiter orbiting extremely close to its star50 times closer than the Earth does around the Sun. WASP-121b is so close to its star that tidal forces...

What’s the shape of the universe? Mathematicians use topology to study the shape of the world and everything in it

When you look at your surrounding environment, it might seem like youre living on a flat plane. After all, this is why you can navigate a new city using a map: a flat piece of paper that represents all the places around...

Technology

CoreWeave Slashes IPO Size and Price Amid Investor Caution Despite Nvidia Backing

CoreWeave, a leading AI cloud infrastructure provider backed by Nvidia, has significantly downsized its U.S. IPO. The company cut its offering by 23.5%, now aiming to raise $1.5 billion by selling 37.5 million shares at...

Alibaba Stock Gets Boost as Mizuho Touts AI Potential and Hikes Price Target

Alibaba Group (NYSE: BABA, HK:9988) surged in investor interest after Mizuho raised its price target on the Chinese tech giants U.S.-listed shares from $140 to $170, maintaining an Outperform rating. The bullish update...

SK Hynix Sees Chip Order Surge Ahead of Possible U.S. Tariffs, Eyes AI Memory Boom

SK Hynix, the worlds second-largest memory chipmaker, revealed that customers are rushing orders in anticipation of potential U.S. semiconductor tariffs. Speaking at the companys annual shareholder meeting, Lee Sang-rak,...

Former Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger Joins Playground Global to Drive Chip Innovation

Pat Gelsinger, former Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) CEO, has joined venture capital firm Playground Global as a general partner, marking a major move in the semiconductor and deep tech investment space. Alongside this role,...

North Korea Unveils AI Suicide Drones and Airborne Radar in Military Upgrade

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has overseen the test of new suicide drones equipped with artificial intelligence (AI), declaring that unmanned systems and AI technologies must be prioritized in modern military...